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The Complete Guide to Every iOS 27 Feature

How to check your headphone audio levels on iPad

by Chris Smith

While using headphones with iPad, you can check whether the audio level is OK by viewing the Hearing control in Control Center. In the Health app, you can review the history of your headphone listening habits.

If you listen to loud headphone audio for long enough to affect your hearing, iPad automatically sends you a notification that you should turn down the volume. The next time you connect your headphones after that, your volume is automatically set to a lower level, though you can turn it up again. The Headphone Level meter shows your live audio level in decibels, and you can also reduce loud headphone sounds.

Quick tip: In the Health app, tap the Search button, tap Hearing, and then tap Headphone Notifications to review the details of a headphone notification.

Check your headphone levels while you listen

You can view your live headphone levels in Control Center.

  1. Open Control Center.
  2. Tap the Add button at the top left of Control Center and then tap Add a Control.
  3. Scroll down to Hearing Accessibility, then tap Hearing.
  4. Tap the Hearing Devices button.

    The audio level (in decibels) of your headphones is displayed on the Headphone Level meter.

Note: Live Listen (below the Headphone Level meter) turns on or off with a tap. For more, see our article, Use iPad as a remote microphone with Live Listen. Headphone level monitoring and Live Listen typically aren’t used together, since the Headphone Level monitor is intended for listening to audio playback, while Live Listen picks up external sounds with the iPad microphone.

Check your headphone levels over time

  1. Start the Health app on your iPad.
  2. Tap the Browse button and then tap Hearing.
  3. Tap Headphone Audio Levels and then do any of the following:
    • See exposure levels over a period of time: Tap the tabs at the top of the screen. (All levels are measured in decibels.)
    • Learn about the sound level classifications: Tap the Show Information button.
    • Change the time span displayed in the graph: Swipe the graph left or right.
    • Display highlights: Scroll down to Highlights and then tap Show All.

To learn more about your headphone audio levels, tap Show More Data.

Reduce loud headphone sounds

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Sounds, scroll down, and tap Reduce Loud Audio below Headphones.
  3. Turn on Reduce Loud Audio, then drag the slider.

    iPad analyzes your headphone audio and reduces any sound above the level you set.

    Note: If you set up Screen Time for family members, you can prevent them from changing the Reduce Loud Sounds level. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Reduce Loud Sounds, then select Don’t Allow.

Get headphone audio notifications

You can find headphone notifications on the Summary screen of the Health app.

Note: Depending on your country or region, Headphone Notifications may be turned on by default, and in some countries or regions, you may not be able to turn it off. If allowed in your country or region, you can do the following:

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Sound, then scroll down to Headphones.
  3. Turn Headphone Notifications on or off.

You can also set a maximum decibel level in the Settings app to keep your headphone audio at a comfortable level.

For the most accurate headphone audio measurements, use Apple or Beats headphones. With other headphones, the audio can be estimated based on your iPad’s volume.

See also

Tags: AirPods, Health
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How to locate an AirTag or other item in Find My on iPad

by Kevin Hollington

You can use the Find My app to locate a missing AirTag or third-party item that you’ve registered to your Apple Account. If the item can be located, it appears on the map, and if it can’t, you see where and when it was last located. Its location updates whenever it connects to the Find My network, and if it can’t be located, you can get notified once it’s found again. You can also play a sound and get directions to it.

Learn how to register an AirTag or third-party item.

See the location of an item

Tap Items at the bottom-left side of the screen, then tap the item you want to locate.

  • If the item can be located: It appears on the map so you can see where it is. The location and timestamp appear below the item’s name. The item’s location is updated when it connects to the Find My network.
  • If the item can’t be located: You see where and when it was last located. Below Notifications, turn on Notify When Found. You receive a notification once it’s located again.

    Important: Make sure you allow notifications for the Find My app. See Change notification settings on iPad.

Play a sound

If the item is nearby, you can have it play a sound to help you find it.

Note: When you can’t play a sound on an item, the Play Sound button doesn’t appear.

  1. Open the Find My app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Items at the bottom-left side of the screen and then tap the item you want to play a sound on.
  3. Tap Play.

    To stop playing the sound before it ends automatically, tap Stop Sound.

Get directions to an item

Directions to an item’s current or last known location are available in the Maps app.

  1. Open the Find My app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Items at the bottom-left side of the screen. Tap the item you want to get directions to.
  3. Tap Directions to open Maps.

For directions to the item in Maps, check out our guide, Get directions.

See also

Tag: Find My
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How to remove an AirTag, Apple Pencil Pro, or other item from Find My on iPad

by Dave Johnson

You can use the Find My app to remove an AirTag, Apple Pencil Pro, or third-party item from your Apple Account so someone else can register it.

Even when the item isn’t near your device, you can remove it, though it has to be reset before anyone else can register it. Removing Apple Pencil Pro removes Find My Lock, so another Apple Account can add it. And a third-party item can be reset with the manufacturer’s instructions.

Learn how to register an AirTag, Apple Pencil Pro, or third-party item.

Remove an AirTag or other item

  1. Open the Find My app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Items at the bottom-left side of the screen, tap the item you want to remove, and then tap the more button.
  3. Bring the item near your iPad.

    If the item isn’t near your device, you can still remove it from your account. However, the item must be reset before anyone can register it to their Apple Account.

  4. Tap Remove and then follow the onscreen instructions.

Remove Apple Pencil Pro

  1. Open the Find My app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Devices at the bottom of the screen. Tap the Apple Pencil Pro you want to remove.
  3. Scroll down and tap Remove This Device.

    Removing Apple Pencil Pro removes Find My Lock, allowing another Apple Account to add Apple Pencil Pro to Find My on their iPad.

Note: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to reset an item.

See also

Tag: Find My
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How to add an AirTag in Find My on iPad

by Kevin Hollington

You can pair an AirTag with your Apple Account using your iPad. When you attach it to an everyday item, like a keychain or a backpack, you can use the Find My app to locate it if it’s lost or misplaced.

AirTag can only be registered to one Apple Account at a time, but you can share an AirTag with others, and you can get notified if you leave it behind. See Set separation alerts in case you leave an AirTag or item behind. You can also add supported third-party products to Find My. See Add or update a third-party item.

Add an AirTag

  1. Remove the product wrapping and battery tab from the AirTag and then hold it near your iPad.
  2. Go to the Home Screen on your iPad.

    Note: To retry pairing, turn your screen off and back on.

  3. Tap Connect on the screen of your iPad.
  4. Choose a name from the list or choose Custom Name to type a name and select an emoji. Tap Continue.
  5. Tap Continue to register the item to your Apple Account. Then tap Finish.

You can also register an AirTag in the Find My app. Tap the Add button, then choose Add AirTag.

If someone else’s Apple Account already has the item registered, they need to remove it first, and then you can add it. For details, see our article, Remove an AirTag or other item from Find My.

Change the name or emoji of an AirTag

  1. Open the Find My app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Items at the bottom-left side of the screen, tap the AirTag whose name or emoji you want to change, and then tap the more button.
  3. Tap Change Name and Emoji.
  4. Choose a name from the list or choose Custom Name to type a name and select an emoji.
  5. Tap the done button.

View more details about an AirTag

Once you add an AirTag to your Apple Account, you can see more details about it in the Find My app.

  1. Open the Find My app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Items at the bottom-left side of the screen and tap the AirTag you want to see more details about. Tap the more button.
  3. Tap the address of the AirTag to see the model, serial number, and the firmware version.

A low battery level brings up a message below the location of the AirTag, and a low battery indicator shows next to the AirTag’s name in the Items list.

Tag: Find My
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How to add or update a third-party item in Find My on iPad

by Moses Johnson

You can use certain third-party products with the Find My app. You can register these products to your Apple Account using your iPad, and then use Find My to locate them if they’re lost or misplaced.

You can also get notified if you leave your item behind. See Set separation alerts in case you leave an AirTag or item behind in Find My on iPad. If an item is registered to someone else’s Apple Account, though, they need to remove it before you can add it. You can also add an AirTag to Find My. See Add an AirTag in Find My on iPad.

Add a third-party item

  1. Open the Find My app on your iPad.
  2. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to make the item discoverable.
  3. Tap the Add button, then choose Add Other Item.
  4. Tap Connect, type a name and select an emoji and tap Continue.
  5. Tap Continue to register the item to your Apple Account. Then tap Finish.

Trouble adding an item? Check with the manufacturer to see if Find My is supported.

Before you can add an item that’s registered to someone else’s Apple Account, that person needs to remove it. Check out our guide, Remove an AirTag or other item from Find My, if you need the steps.

Change an item’s name or emoji

  1. Open the Find My app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Items at the bottom-left side of the screen and tap the item whose name or emoji you want to change. Then tap the more button.
  3. Tap Change Name and Emoji.
  4. Choose a name from the list or choose Custom Name to type a name and select an emoji.
  5. Tap the done button.

Keep your item up to date

Keep your item up to date so you can use all the features in Find My.

  1. Open the Find My app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Items at the bottom-left side of the screen, tap the item you want to update, and tap the more button.
  3. Tap Update Available and then follow the onscreen instructions.

    Note: If you don’t see Update Available, your item is up to date.

    While the item is updating, you can’t use Find My features.

View details about an item

Once an item is registered to your Apple Account, Find My can show you more details about it, like the model or serial number, plus whether the manufacturer offers a third-party app.

  1. Open the Find My app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Items at the bottom-left side of the screen and tap the item you want more details about, then tap the more button.
  3. Do either of the following:
    • View details: Tap Show Details.
    • Get or open third-party app: If an app is available, you see the app icon. Tap Get or the Download button to download the app. If you’ve already downloaded it, tap Open to open it on your iPad.

See also

Tag: Find My
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How to add your iPad to Find My

by Chris Smith

Before you can use the Find My app to locate a lost iPad, you need to connect the device to your Apple Account.

When you add your iPad to Find My, you can also get notified if you leave it behind. See Set separation alerts in case you leave a device behind in Find My on iPad. You can add your Apple Pencil Pro, too. And your iPad includes Activation Lock, which keeps anyone else from activating and using it, even after it’s erased.

Add your iPad

  1. Open Settings, tap [your name], and then tap Find My on your iPad.

    If you’re asked to sign in, enter your Apple Account information. If you don’t have an Apple Account, tap “Don’t have an Apple Account or forgot it?” then follow the instructions.

  2. Tap Find My iPad. Turn on Find My iPad.
  3. You can also turn on or off either of the following:

    • Find My network: If your device is offline (not connected to Wi-Fi or cellular), Find My can locate it using the Find My network.
    • Send Last Location: If your device’s battery charge level becomes critically low, its location is sent to Apple automatically.

Activation Lock, another feature on your iPad, keeps anyone else from activating and using your device, even after it’s completely erased.

Add your Apple Pencil Pro

  1. Open the Find My app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Devices and then attach Apple Pencil Pro to your iPad.
  3. Tap the Add button, then tap Apple Pencil.
  4. Follow the onscreen instructions.

Add another device

See any of the following:

You can also add AirTags and other items to Find My from your iPad, using any of these guides:

Add a family member’s device

If you set up Family Sharing first, your family members’ devices show up in Find My, listed below yours in the Devices list. For more, check out our guide, Share locations with family members and locate their lost devices on iPad.

You can’t add friends’ devices to Find My. Friends who lose a device can go to Find Devices on iCloud.com and sign in to their Apple Account.

See also

Tag: Find My
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How to set separation alerts in case you leave a device behind in Find My on iPad

by Moses Johnson

Separation alerts in the Find My app let you know when you’ve left a device behind. You can set them up for your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or AirPods, and add Trusted Locations, where you can leave a device without getting an alert.

If you have an iPhone Wallet with MagSafe and Find My support, you can get an alert when it detaches from your iPhone, too.

Here’s how to set separation alerts in case you leave a device behind in Find My on iPad.

Important: In order to receive separation alerts, make sure you allow notifications for the Find My app. See Change notification settings on iPad.

Set up alerts for your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or AirPods

Separation alerts work with AirPods that have the Find My network turned on, a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 12 or later, and an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch with iPadOS 15, iOS 15, or later.

Separation alerts can only be set up from the device sharing your location, and you’ll get an alert every time it separates from the device you set an alert for.

  1. Start the Find My app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Devices at the bottom-left side of the screen, tap the name of the device you want to set up an alert for, and tap the More button.
  3. Tap When Left Behind, turn on Notify When Left Behind, and follow the onscreen instructions.
  4. If you want to add a Trusted Location, you can choose a suggested location, or tap New Location, select a location on the map, and then tap Done.
  5. Tap the Done button.

Get notified when your iPhone Wallet with MagSafe detaches from your iPhone

If your iPhone and your iPhone Wallet with MagSafe and Find My support are apart for one minute, you can get an alert. After that, you’ll see its last known location on a map in the Find My app.

  1. Start the Find My app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Devices at the bottom-left side of the screen and tap the name of your iPhone Wallet with MagSafe. Tap the More button.
  3. Tap Notify When Detached.
  4. Turn off or on Notify When Detached and tap the Done button.

See also

Tag: Find My
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How to set separation alerts in case you leave an AirTag or item behind in Find My on iPad

by Chris Smith

In the Find My app, you can turn on separation alerts for an AirTag or other item so you don’t accidentally leave it behind. You receive an alert every time the device sharing your location separates from the item, unless you’re in a Trusted Location where you’ve chosen not to get one.

You can also mark an AirTag or other item as lost, and set separation alerts in case you leave a device behind.

Important: In order to receive separation alerts, make sure you allow notifications for the Find My app. See Change the frequency of notifications.

  1. Open the Find My app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Items at the bottom-left side of the screen, tap the name of the item you want to set an alert for, and tap the more button.
  3. Tap When Left Behind and then turn on Notify When Left Behind.
  4. If you want to add a Trusted Location, you can choose a suggested location, or tap New Location, select a location on the map.
  5. Tap the Done button.

See also

Tag: Find My
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How to listen to audiobooks in the Books app on iPad

by Emily Long

Use the Books app to listen to audiobooks on your iPad. As an audiobook plays, you can adjust the volume, skip forward or back, go to a specific time or a different chapter, speed it up or slow it down, and set a sleep timer. Some audiobooks come with supplemental PDFs, too.

The audiobook player screen showing, from top to bottom, the audiobook cover, the name of the section that’s playing, the playhead, pause button, and the skip forward and back buttons. At the bottom is the volume slider and below that are buttons for controlling playback speed, setting a sleep timer, choosing a playback destination, and viewing a list of the book’s tracks.

Note: Apple Books isn’t available in all countries or regions.

Play an audiobook

  1. Open the Books app on your iPad.
  2. Go to an audiobook. Tap the cover to start playing it.
  3. While the audiobook is playing, do any of the following:

    • Adjust the volume: Drag the slider below the Pause button left or right.
    • Skip forward or back: Tap or touch and hold the rounded arrows next to the Pause button. Or use external controls such as headphones or car controls.

      Note: To change the number of seconds to skip forward or back, go to Settings > Apps > Books. Below Audiobooks, tap Skip Forward or Skip Back, then tap an option.

    • Go to a specific time: Drag the slider below the audiobook cover left or right.
    • Go to a different chapter: Tap the Table of Contents Switch button. Tap a chapter.

      Note: Some audiobooks refer to chapters as tracks, or don’t define chapters.

    • Speed it up or slow it down: Tap 1x in the lower-left corner and drag the dial up or down to adjust the narration speed. Touch and hold the narration speed to reset it to 1x.
    • Set a sleep timer: Tap the Sleep button, then choose a duration.
    • Play on a different device: Tap the AirPlay button. Then choose an available device such as HomePod, Apple TV 4K, or Bluetooth® speakers.
    • Switch to the audiobook mini-player: Swipe down from anywhere on the screen; tap the mini-player at the bottom of the screen to go back to full screen.
    • Close the audiobook player: Switch to the audiobook mini-player, touch and hold the audiobook mini-player and then tap Close Audio Player.

If a Wi-Fi connection to the internet isn’t available, audiobooks play over your carrier’s cellular network, which may result in additional fees. To manage cellular data usage, see View or change cellular data settings on iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular models).

Find supplemental PDFs

Some audiobooks come with supplemental PDFs. To view the PDF as the audiobook plays, tap the Table of Contents has Supplemental Content button, or do the following:

  1. Open the Books app on your iPad.
  2. Tap Library and tap the More button below the audiobook cover.
  3. Tap View PDF Content.

See also

Tag: Apple Books
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How to play audio from iPad on HomePod and other wireless speakers

by Emily Long

You can play audio from iPad on wireless devices like HomePod, Apple TV 4K, AirPlay 2-enabled smart TVs, and Bluetooth® headphones and speakers. With AirPlay 2, you can play audio on multiple devices on the same Wi-Fi network, like a party playlist playing on HomePod speakers in the living room and kitchen.

Play audio from iPad on a wireless device

  1. On your iPad, open an audio app, such as Podcasts or Music. Then choose an item to play.
  2. Tap the Playback Destination button and then choose a playback destination.

    Note: If your AirPlay 2-enabled devices don’t appear in the list of playback destinations, make sure they’re on the same Wi-Fi network. With a Bluetooth device, the playback destination returns to iPad if you move the device out of Bluetooth range.

To select the playback destination, you can also tap the Playback Destination button on the Lock Screen or in Control Center.

Note: To set up a Bluetooth audio device, see our guide, Pair your iPad with a Bluetooth accessory.

Play audio on multiple AirPlay 2-enabled devices

AirPlay 2 lets your iPad play audio on multiple AirPlay 2-enabled devices that share the same Wi-Fi network. A party playlist, for example, can play on an Apple TV 4K in the bedroom, an AirPlay 2-enabled smart TV in the den, and HomePod speakers in the living room and kitchen.

Siri: Ask Siri something like:

  • “Stop playing music everywhere”
  • “Set the dining room volume to 10 percent”
  • “What’s playing in the kitchen?”
  • “Play a song I like in the kitchen”
  • “Add the living room speaker”
  • “Remove the music from the kitchen”
  • “Move the music to the den”

Or choose playback destinations from the iPad screen.

  1. Tap the Playback Destination button in Control Center, on the Lock Screen, or on the Now Playing screen for the app you’re listening to.
  2. Select each device you want to use.

Note: Devices arranged in a stereo pair work as a single audio device.

See also

Tag: AirPlay
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